The Demigod Tales
by Truly Human
Summary: How much could one life change the course of history? Worlds have changed because of the actions of one. Now what would happen if there were two? Alexander King and Shin-Li are going to change the world. The only problem is...how will Xander be able to defeat his best friend? A parallel story is being written by Matthias the Wanderer.
1. The New Kid

DISCLAIMER: It should be fairly obvious that I don't own the Percy Jackson series. And if it wasn't, well you know now. I did create the character Xander, though I did draw on heavily on outside sources.  
Credit goes to Matthias the Wanderer for creating Shin-Li the same way.

This Story runs parallel to the story Demigod Tales: Another Side, Another Story.

* * *

What ever Percy had been expecting a training camp for demigods would look like Camp Half-Blood wasn't it. At first he hadn't believed Grover or Chiron when they explained about the gods and monsters but his little encounter with Mr. D had changed his mind quickly. But Camp Half-Blood didn't look like it was a training ground for heroes. It just looked like a regular summer camp! But then he started to notice things that he hadn't before as Chiron showed him around. The rock climbing wall began to spout lava, and more goat people like Grover were sandblasting as statue of a giant goat-man. But the strangest part of the entire image were the cabins.

They were arranged in a giant U shape, but none of them looked anything alike. Number nine looked like a factory, with working smokestacks! Number seven seemed to be made out of solid gold and gleamed so brightly that it hurt to look at it. Number four had vines growing up the sides of it and even had a roof made of woven grass. Numbers one and two were the most striking of them all though. Number one was tall and mighty, it was angled in such a way that it looked like it had lightning bolts streaking across the doors. Number two was more graceful. It had tall smooth columns garland with pomegranates and flowers with pictures of peacocks decorating the walls. "Zeus and Hera?" Percy guessed.

"Correct." Chiron said.

"Their cabins look empty." Percy observed.

"Several cabins are. That's true. No one ever stays in one or two." Chiron explained.

So each cabin had a different god, like a mascot. Twelve cabins for twelve olympians. But why should some be empty? Percy stopped in front of the first cabin next to cabin one, cabin three. It wasn't high and mighty like cabin one but low, long and solid. The outer walls were made of rough stone studded with coral and seashells, as if the slabs had been hewn straight from the bottom of the ocean floor. He peaked inside the open doorway and Chiron said "Oh I wouldn't do that!" But before he could pull him away Percy managed to catch the scent of the seashore, like the wind at Montauk. The inner walls glowed like abalone. There were only six bunks with downturned silk sheets. It didn't look like anyone had ever slept there. The place was so sad and lonely that Percy was glad when Chiron put a hand on his shoulder and said "Come along Percy."

Most of the other cabins were crowded with campers. Number five was bright red-a real nasty paint job, as if the color had been splashed on with buckets of paint. There was barbed wire lining the roof and a stuffed boars head hung above the doorway it's eyes seeming to follow Percy as he walked. Inside there were a bunch of mean looking kids fighting, wrestling and arguing as rock music blared. A boy with shockingly white hair wearing a with shirt with red tribal lines on it lay on a bed while a girl about thirteen or fourteen yelled at him. The girl was wearing an XXXL Camp Half-Blood t-shirt and was getting pretty red in the face from shouting until the boy, also about thirteen hopped off the bed and walked out of the cabin, blowing her off. The girls eyes then zeroed in on Percy, giving him a death-glare. She looked Nancy Bobofit, Percy decided. Except bigger and meaner with stringy brown hair instead of frizzy red.

"I haven't seen any other centaurs around." Percy observed, trying to stay clear of Chiron's hooves.

"No," said Chiron sadly. "My kinsmen are wild and barbaric folk. You might encounter them in the wilderness or at major sporting events. But you won't see any hear."

"You said your name was Chiron. Are you really…" Percy started hesitantly.

"Am I really the Chiron from the stories? Trainer of Heracles and all that? Yes, Percy, I am." Chiron smiled.

"Shouldn't you be dead?"

Chiron paused, as if the question intrigued him. "I honestly don't know about should be. The truth is, I can't be dead. You see, eons ago the gods granted my wish. I could continue the work I loved. I could be a teacher of heroes for as long as humanity needed me. I gained much from that wish…and I gave up much. But I'm still here, so I can only assume that I'm still needed."

Being a teacher forever definitely wouldn't be on Percy's top ten things to wish for."Doesn't it ever get boring?" he asked.

"Oh no. Horribly depressing at times but never boring." Chiron said.

"Why depressing?" Percy asked.

Chiron seemed to turn hard of hearing. "Oh look," he said. "Annabeth, and Shin-Li are waiting for us." The blonde girl that Percy had met at the Big House and an asian boy about fourteen years old sat in front of the last cabin, cabin eleven. They were pouring over a book and sketchbook. Percy tried to make out the title of but his dyslexia was acting up. At least that's what he thought until he realized that the title wasn't even english. The letters looked greek to him, literally greek. Both books had pictures of columns and temples, like architecture books. "Annabeth, Shin-Li, I have masters archery at noon. Would you take Percy from here?" he asked.

"Sure." Shin-Li nodded, Annabeth just glared at Percy, as if she were angry with him for not living up to her expectations.

"Cabin eleven. Make yourself at home." Chiron said, gesturing at the building. Out off all the cabins only cabin leven looked like a regular old summer camp cabin, with emphasis on old. The threshold was worn down, the brown paint peeling. A silver caduceus hung over the doorway. Inside was packed with people, way more than the number of bunks. Boys and girls had sleeping bags spread out on the floor. All in all the place looked more like an evacuation center than a summer camp cabin. Chiron didn't step in, the ceiling was too low for him, but when they saw him all the campers stood and bowed respectfully. "Well then." Chiron said. "Good luck Percy, I'll see you at dinner." and he cantered off.

The campers weren't bowing anymore. They were just standing there, sizing him up. Percy knew the routine, he been through it at enough schools. "Well? Go on." Annabeth said impatiently.

"Watch that first step." Shin-Li whispered as Percy passed him. Looking down Percy realized that there was a small, slightly raised section of the doorway. Stepping over it he realized that there was basically no room for him to move inside the cabin. "Percy Jackson, meet cabin eleven." he said, speaking to the entire cabin this time.

"Regular or undetermined?" someone near the back asked.

"Undetermined." Shin-Li answered, resulting a a lot of groans.

A guy a little older than the rest came forward. "Now now campers, that's what we're here for. Welcome Percy, you can have that spot on the floor over there." he said pointing to the last empty spot of floor on the ground. The guy was about nineteen, and he looked pretty cool. He was tall and muscular with short cropped sandy hair and a friendly smile. He wore an orange tank top, cutoffs, sandals and a leather necklace with five different colored clay beads on it, just like the ones Shin-Li and Annabeth had on theirs. The only thing unsettling about his appearance was a thick white scar that ran from just underneath his right eye to his jaw, like an old knife slash.

"This is Luke." Annabeth said, sounding slightly different. Looking at her Percy could have sworn she was blushing. "He's your counselor for now."

"For now?" Percy asked.

"You're undetermined. They don't know what cabin to put you in, so you're here. Cabin eleven takes all newcomers, all visitors. Naturally we would. Hermes, our patron is the god of travelers."

Percy looked at the spot of floor they'd given him. No sleeping bag, no luggage or clothes. He thought about setting the Minotaurs horn down but remembered that Hermes was also the god of thieves. "How long will I be here?" he asked.

"Good question." Luke said. "Until you're determined."

"How long will that take?" Percy asked confused. Some of the campers laughed bitterly.

"Come on!" Annabeth said grabbing his arm and dragging him out the door and down towards the volleyball court.

The last thing Percy said was Shin-Li looking at Luke and saying, "We need to talk."

"You need to do better than that Jackson!" Annabeth snapped as soon as they were out of earshot of the other campers.

"What?" he asked irritated.

"I can't believe I thought you were the one." she said rolling her eyes.

"What's your problem!" Percy shot back. "All I did was kill some bull-guy,"

"Don't talk like that!" Annabeth cut him off angrily. "Do you have any idea how many kids at camp wish they'd had your chance?"

"To get killed?" Percy asked raising his eyebrow.

"To fight the minotaur! What do you think we train for?" she asked him.

"Look, " Percy said closing his eyes. "If what I fought really was the Minotaur, the same one from the stories…"

"Yes." Annabeth confirmed.

"Then there's only one." Percy said slowly.

"Yes." Annabeth said again.

"And he died like a gajillion years ago right? Theseus killed him in the labyrinth. So…"

"Monsters don't die Percy. They can be killed but they don't die." she said shaking her head.

"Well that clears it up, thanks." Percy shot back sarcastically.

"They don't have souls like you and me. You can dispel them for a while, maybe a whole lifetime if you're lucky. But they're primal forces. Chiron calls them archetypes. Eventually they reform."

Percy thought back to when he had killed Mrs. Dodds. "You mean if you accidentally killed one with a sword…"

"The Fur…your math teacher. That's right. She's still out there. You just made her very very mad." Annabeth said.

"How did you know about Mrs. Dodds?" Percy asked confused.

Annabeth looked down, not willing to meet his eyes. "You talk in your sleep." she told him finally.

"You almost called her something. A Fury? They're Hades torturers right?" Percy asked.

Annabeth looked down nervously, as if she expected the earth to open up and swallow her. "You shouldn't call them by name, even here. We call them Kindly Ones if we have to speak of them at all."

"Okay, now why do we all have to be crammed in Cabin eleven? There are plenty of empty bunks in those cabins over there." Percy said waving a hand in the general direction of the the empty cabins.

Annabeth turned pale before answering. "You don't just choose a cabin Percy. It depends on who your parents are. Or…your parent." she stared at him, waiting for him to get it.

"My mom is Sally Jackson." Percy said defiantly. "She works in Grand Central Station. Or at least she used to."

"I'm sorry about your mom Percy. But that's not what I mean. I'm talking about your other parent. Your dad." she said gently.

"He's dead. I never knew him." Percy said shortly.

Annabeth sighed. Obviously she'd had this conversation before. "Your father's not dead Percy."

"How can you say that? You know him?" Percy asked.

"Of course not." Annabeth sighed.

"Then how can you say-" but she cut him off.

"Because I know you. You wouldn't be here if you weren't one of us."

"You don't know anything about me." Percy snapped, getting kind of angry.

"No?" Annabeth said raising an eyebrow. "I bet you moved around from school to school. Got kicked out of a lot of them."

"How-" he started but she was on a role.

"Diagnosed with dyslexia. Probably ADHD, too."

Percy felt his face burning as he tried to swallow his embarrassment. "What does that have to do with anything?" he asked.

"Taken together it's almost a sure sign." she told him. "The letters float off the page when you read, right? That's because your brain is hardwired for ancient greek. And the ADHD-you're impulsive, can't sit still in the classroom. That's your battlefield reflexes. In a real fight they'd keep you alive. As for the attention problems, that's because you see too much, Percy, not too little. Your senses are better than a regular mortals. Of course the teachers want you medicated. Most of them are monsters. They don't want you seeing them for what they really are."

"You sound like you went through the same thing." Percy noticed.

"Most of us did." Annabeth sighed. "If you weren't like us you couldn't have survived the Minotaur, much less ambrosia and nectar."

"Ambrosia and nectar." Percy said staring at her.

"The food and drink we gave you to make you feel better. That stuff would've killed a regular mortal. It would've turned your blood to fire and your bones to sand and you'd be dead. Face it. You're a half-blood."

A half-blood. Percy was reeling with so many revelations and questions that it made his head spin.

The a husky voice yelled "Well, a newbie!" Percy looked over to see the girl from the red cabin walking over to them with three other girls behind her.

"Clarisse." Annabeth sighed. "Why don't you go polish your spear or something?"

"Sure Miss Princess." Clarisse sneered. "So I can run you through with it on friday night."

"Erre es korakas!" Annabeth shot back, which Percy somehow understood was greek for 'go to the crows!' He had a feeling that is was worse than it sounded.

"We'll pulverize you!" Clarisse said, but her eye twitched, making Percy wonder if she could really follow through with that threat. The she turned to him. "Who's this little runt?" she asked.

"Percy Jackson," Annabeth said, "Meet Clarisse, Daughter of Ares."

Percy blinked. "Like…the war god?"

"You got a problem with that punk?" she sneered.

"No," he shot back recovering his wits. "That explains the bad smell."

"We got an initiation ceremony for newbies Prissy." Clarisse growled.

"Percy."

"Whatever. Come on, I'll show you."

"Clarisse-" Annabeth tried to step in.

"Stay out of it Wise Girl." Clarisse snarled.

Percy handed Annabeth his Minotaur horn and got ready for a fight but before he knew it Clarisse had him in a headlock and was dragging him toward a cinderblock building that Percy immediately knew was the bathroom. He was punching and kicking but Clarisse had a grip like a vice. Inside there was a row of toilets on one wall and a row of shower stalls on the other. Percy couldn't help but think, as much as he could with Clarisse ripping his hair out, that if this was a training ground for the children of gods then why didn't they have cleaner johns? Clarisse and her friends were laughing while Percy tried to find that strength he used against the Minotaur but it just wasn't there.

"Oh yeah, he's gonna scare the pants of Xander, that's for sure." he heard Clarisse laugh. "He's like Big Three material. The Minotaur probably fell over laughing he was so stupid looking." Clarisse bent him over and started forcing his head toward one of the toilets. Percy struggled to keep his head up. I won't go into that water, he decided, I won't" And that's when it happened. There was a tugging sensation in his gut and the pipes shuddered, the plumbing rumbling. Clarisse's grip on his hair loosened.

Water shot out of the toilet in a clean arc over his head and the next thing he knew he was sprawled on the floor with Clarisse screaming behind him. He tuned around just in time to see a fresh arc of water shoot from the toilet and smack Clarisse in the face so hard she was pushed down on her butt. The water stayed on her like a fire hose, pushing her back into the shower. Clarisse struggled, gasping, making her friends move to help her. But then the other toilets exploded too, shooting six more streams of water at the group, then the showers acted up too. Altogether the combined force of the bathroom fixtures was enough to send the camouflage girls spinning about of the bathroom, like pieces of trash being washed out.

As soon as they were out the door the tug in his gut lessened, and the water shut off. The entire bathroom was flooded, Annabeth hadn't been spared. She stood dripping wet, but she hadn't been pushed out of the door. She was standing in the exact same place staring at him in shock. Looking down Percy realized that he was standing in the only dry spot in the whole room. There was a circle of dry around him leaving him with not a single drop of water on him. He stood up shakily.

"How did you-" Annabeth asked in shock.

"I don't know." Percy told her honestly.

They walked to the door. Clarisse and her friends were sprawled in the mud where a bunch of other campers had gathered around to watch. "You are dead new boy! You are totally dead!" she snarled.

"You have to admit. He did a good job getting rid of the bad smell." a new voice said wryly. The campers that had gathered around to watch scattered, even Annabeth's eyes widened.

Walking over to them was a young man, maybe thirteen if Percy had to guess. He was dressed in cargo pants that were tucked into his hiking boots and a white t-shirt with bright red tribal designs on it. He had bronzed skin, as if he had been out in the sun his whole life and a small smirk on his face as he walked over. He had gravity defying white hair, but even that wasn't the most unsettling thing about his appearance. This guy has red eyes. Percy realized when he wondered what seemed off. And it was true, his eyes were a bright blood red. "Xander." Clarisse said, but her voice wasn't as angry as it had been before. If anything she sounded a little scared. The it hit Percy. This was the same kid he had seen blow Clarisse off earlier.

"I think you've done enough here." he said, jerking his head at the red cabin. The funny thing was that Percy was sure he wasn't asking. Whoever this guy was he had Clarisse and Annabeth both scared of him. Climbing to her feet Clarisse glared once more at Percy but trudged off the her cabin with her friends. "Sorry about them." he said walking over and holding out a hand. Up close Percy could see that this guy was only a year older than him but covered in hard muscles. Infact the only thing marring his image was a long thick scar running the length of his right forearm, all the way from his wrist to his elbow.

"Percy." he said taking the offered hand.

"Xander. I'll see you around Percy." he said shaking the hand firmly before walking back to the Ares cabin.

"What?" Percy asked when he saw Annabeth looking at him strangely.

"I'm thinking," she said, "That I want you on my team for capture the flag."


	2. Introductions

Word of the bathroom incident spread like wildfire. Wherever Percy went campers stopped and stared at him, either that or they were pointing at Annabeth who was still dripping wet. They continued the tour, which consisted of the forges, the arts and crafts room, and the rock climbing wall, but Percy could tell that Annabeth's heart wasn't in it. Finally they got back to the canoeing lake where the trail lead back to the cabins.

"I've got training to do. Dinner's at seven-thirty. Just follow your cabin to the mess hall." Annabeth said flatly.

"Annabeth, I'm sorry about the toilets." Percy tried to apologize.

"Whatever." Annabeth said.

"It wasn't my fault." Percy tried to defend. Annabeth raised an eyebrow and Percy began to understand that it was his fault. The water had responded to him. He had become one with the plumbing.

"You need to talk to the Oracle." Annabeth told him.

"Who?" Percy asked.

"Not who," Annabeth corrected. "What. I'll ask Chiron."

Percy glared into the water, wishing that at least one thing he learned today made sense. What he wasn't expecting were for there to be pretty girls just sitting at the bottom of the lake smiling and waving up at him like he was a long lost friend. Hesitantly he waved back.

"Don't encourage them. Naiads are terrible flirts." a deeper voice said from behind them. Walking towards them from the direction of the cabins was the guy Annabeth had been talking to when he arrived at Cabin Eleven.

"Naiads." Percy said flatly. "That's it. I want to go home now."

"You are home. This is the only home for kids like us." Shin-Li said bluntly. "Outside this camp you're fair game for any monster that cares to try their luck. And that's going to be all of them. You want to live, you stay here."

"Kids like us." Percy repeated. "You mean mentally disturbed kids?"

"He means not human." Annabeth snapped impatiently. "At least not all human. Half-human."

"Half-human half-what?" Percy asked warily.

"I think you know." Annabeth said.

Percy paused. Something told him that as soon as he said it there would be no going back. "God." he said finally. "Half-god."

Annabeth nodded. "Your father isn't dead Percy. He's one of the Olympians."

"That's…crazy." Percy said at last.

"Is it?" Shin-Li said speaking up for the first time since he arrived. "Think about it. What's the one thing gods did in the old stories?"

"Argue?" Percy suggested lamely.

But to his surprise Shin-Li chuckled. "Point. But not exactly what I meant. They went around having children with mortals. Why would they change that in the few centuries that have passed since then?"

"But those are just…" Percy started to say but thought better of it. "Look if all the kids here are half-god,"

"Demigods." Annabeth cut him off. "That's the official term. Or half-bloods."

"Then who's your dad?" Percy asked. Anyone who knew her knew that Annabeth's family was a dangerous subject to broach with her. Even Percy could see her walls coming up telling him that this was not a safe subject.

"My dad is a professor at West Point." she said gripping a college class ring that hung around her neck tightly. "I haven't seen him since I was very small. He teaches american history."

"He's human." Percy said stupidly.

"What?" Annabeth snapped. "You assume it has to be a male god who finds a human female attractive? How sexist is that?"

"Who's your mom then?" Percy asked not willing to give up.

"Cabin Six." Annabeth said proudly.

"He doesn't know what that means, Annabeth." Shin-Li scolded lightly.

Looking at Percy's confused expression Annabeth sighed angrily. "Athena. The Goddess of Wisdom and Battle."

Percy shrugged as if thinking, sure, why not.

"What about you?" he asked Shin-Li.

"My mother's not an Olympian. Let's just say that you wouldn't want to meet her." he replied.

"Ok. What about my dad?" Percy asked.

"We don't know. That's what undetermined means." Shin-Li said.

"My mom knew." Percy said sadly.

"Maybe not Percy. Gods don't always reveal their identities." Annabeth said looking at him sadly.

"My dad would have." Percy said stubbornly. "He loved her."

Annabeth just looked at him like she didn't want to burst his bubble."It's possible." Shin-Li said at last. "But at the same time unlikely. Gods don't like being tied down. But if you're right then maybe he'll send a sign. It's the only way to know."

"Maybe?" Percy asked having picked up on Shin-Li's use of the word. "You mean sometimes it doesn't happen?"

Annabeth ran her palm along the rail that went partway around the lake. "The gods are busy. They have a lot of children and they don't always…well sometimes they don't care about us Percy. They ignore us."

Percy thought about some of the kids he's seen in the Hermes cabin that had a sullen, depressed look around them. As if they were waiting for something that would never come.

"So I'm stuck here. That's it. For the rest of my life?" he asked.

"Well maybe not." Shin-Li interjected. "It depends on the demigod. If you're a child of Demeter or Aphrodite you won't have a powerful combative aura, and some monsters might ignore you. But if you're something like a son of Ares, then you have a more aggressive aura that's bound to attract monsters."

"We're the year rounders." Annabeth continued. "We attract monsters. They sense us. They come to challenge us. Most of the time they leave us alone until we're old enough to start causing trouble, ten or eleven years old. But after that most demigods find there way here or they get killed off. A few manage to survive in the outside world and become famous. Believe me, if I told you their names you'd know them. Some don't even realize they're demigods. But very few are like that."

"So monsters can't get in here?" Percy clarified.

"Not on their own." Shin-Li said. "Some are stocked in the woods. Any others have to be specially summoned by someone inside."

"Why would anybody want to summon a monster?" Percy asked incredulous.

"Practical jokes. Practice fights." Shin-Li shrugged. "I know for a fact that Xander has permission from Chiron and Mr. D to summon them so he can get in a good fight."

"Xander…that guy with white hair I met earlier?" Percy asked.

"Oh? You already met him? Yeah, that's the guy." Shin-Li confirmed.

"So I could just walk out of here if I wanted?" Percy asked.

"It would be suicide but you could with Mr. D's or Chiron's permission." Annabeth told him. "But they won't give permission until the end of the summer unless…"

"Annabeth!" Shin-Li said sharply.

"It could happen." Annabeth said petulantly.

"What?" Percy asked, confused.

"You could be granted a quest." Annabeth said shooting a glare at Shin-Li. "But it hardly ever happens."

"After last time I can see why." Shin-Li shot back. Percy was going to ask what happened last time but by the look's one their faces he figured he didn't want to know.

"Back in the sick room when you were feeding me that stuff," Percy started.

"Ambrosia." Annabeth interrupted to correct him again.

"Yeah. You asked me something about the summer solstice." he said making Annabeth and Shin-Li perk up.

"So you do know something!" she said triumphantly.

"Well…no." he said sheepishly. "Back at my old school I overheard Grover and Chiron talking about it. Grover mentioned the summer solstice. He said something like we didn't have much time, because of the deadline. What did that mean?"

Annabeth clenched her fists. "I wish I knew. Chiron and the satyrs, they know but they won't tell me. Something is wrong in Olympus, something pretty major. Last time I was there, everything seemed so normal."

"You've been to Olympu?" Percy said surprised.

"Some of the year-rounders-Luke, Clarisse, Xander, and Shin-Li and I-we took a field trip during the winter solstice. That's when the gods have their big annual council."

"But…how did you get there?" Percy asked in wonder.

"Long Island Railroad, of course. You get off at Penn Station. Empire State Building, special elevator to the six hundredth floor." she said once again looking at Percy like he should know this. "You are a New Yorker, right?"

"And how is he supposed to know this, Annabeth?" Shin-Li said with a long suffering sigh.

"Right after we visited," Annabeth continued as if she hadn't heard Shin-Li. "The weather got weird, as if the gods had started fighting. A couple of times since, I've overheard satyrs talking. The best I can figure, something important was stolen. And if it isn't returned by the summer solstice there's going to be trouble. When you came I was hoping…I mean-Athena can get along with just about anybody, except for Ares. And of course she's got the rivalry with Poseidon. But, I mean, aside from that, I thought we could work together. I thought you might know something." she finished.

Percy just shook his head helplessly.

"I've got to get a quest." Annabeth muttered. "I'm not too young. If they would just tell me the problem…"

"She'll be like that for a while." Shin-Li said as the smell of barbecue wafted over to them on the warm summer breeze. Placing a hand on his shoulder the oriental boy steered Percy back to Cabin Eleven. Once there Percy realized for the first time that several of the campers had similar features. Sharp noses, upturned eyebrows, and mischievous smiles. These were the kids, He realized, that would have instantly been branded troublemakers by any teacher. Walking over to his spot on the floor Percy plopped down on the floor setting his Minotaur horn down beside him.

The counselor Luke came over. He had the Hemes family resemblance, too. It was marred by the scar on his right cheek, but his smile was intact. "Found you a sleeping bag." he said. "And here, I stole you some toiletries from the camp store."

Percy wasn't sure if he was kidding about the stealing part or not, but said thanks none the less.

Luke sat down, pushing his back against the wall. "Tough first day?" he asked.

"I don't belong here." Percy said miserably. "I don't even believe in gods."

"Yeah." Luke said. "That's how we all started. Once you start believing in them? It doesn't get any easier."

Percy was surprised by the bitterness he heard in Like's voice because he seemed like an easygoing guy. "So your dad is Hermes?" he asked searching for a way to break the ice.

Luke pulled out a switchblade, freaking Percy out until he started scraping mud off the sole of his sandel. "Yeah. Hermes."

"The wing-footed messenger guy." Percy clarified.

"That's him." Luke said. "Messengers. Medicine. Travelers, merchants and thieves. Anybody who uses the roads. That's why you're here enjoying Cabin Eleven's hospitality. Hermes isn't picky about who he sponsors."

"Did you ever meet your dad?" Percy asked after a long silence.

"Once." Luke said. Looking up and seeing the expression on Percy's face he managed a comforting smile. "Don't worry about it Percy. The campers here, they're mostly good people. After all, we're an extended family. We take care of each other."

Percy was grateful to Luke. He seemed to understand what he was going through, to sympathize. Even if he was his counselor, Percy figured an older guy like Luke should've steered clear of an uncool middle schooler like him. He's even stolen him some toiletries, which Percy realized was this nicest thing anyone had done for him all day. Finally he got up the courage to ask the thing that had been on his mind since the bathroom incident with Clarisse. "Clarisse from the Ares Cabin joked that I was 'Big Three' material. And then Annabeth said that she couldn't believe she thought I was 'the one.' What did that mean?" he asked.

Luke sighed and folded his knife before slipping it back into his pocket. "I hate prophecies." he said at last.

"What do you mean?" Percy asked.

Luke grimaced, making his scar twitch. "Let's just say that I messed things up for everyone else. The last two years, ever since my trip to the Garden of the Hesperides went sour, Chiron hasn't allowed anymore quests. It's been driving Annabeth and Xander crazy. Annabeth's been dying to get out into the world. She pestered Chiron so much he finally told her he already knew her fate. He'd had a prophecy from the Oracle. He wouldn't tell her the whole thing, but he said Annabeth wasn't destined to go on a quest yet. She had to wait until…somebody special came to camp."

Percy's brow furrowed. "Somebody special?"

"Don't worry about it kid." Luke said. "Annabeth wants to think every new camper who comes through here is the omen she's been waiting for. Now, come on, it's dinnertime."

The moment he said it, as if he'd timed it on purpose, a horn sounded in the distance. And even though Percy had never heard one before he somehow knew that it was a conch horn. Luke yelled "Eleven, fall in!" The entire Hermes Cabin, about twenty of them filed into the commons area. They lined up in order of seniority, which meant that Percy was dead last. Campers came from the other cabins too, except for the three empty cabins at the end, Cabin Eight, which looked normal in the daytime, but started to glow silver as the sun set.

As they marched, satyrs came trotting in from the woods, naiads emerged from the canoeing lake, and Percy saw a nine year old girl melt out of the side of a maple tree and go skipping up to the mess hall. All in all there were around a hundred campers, a few dozen satyrs and a dozen assorted nymphs and naiads.

At the pavilion torches blazed around the marble columns. A central fire burned in a bronze brazier the size of a bathtub. Each cabin had it's own table, covered in white cloth trimmed in purple. Four of the tables were empty but Cabin Eleven's was way overcrowded. Percy had to squeeze onto the edge and still half his butt hung off. Looking around he saw Grover sitting at table twelve with Mr. D, a few other satyrs and a couple of plump blonde boys who looked a lot like Mr. D. Shin-Li and Annabeth sat at table six with bunch of athletic looking kids with honey blonde hair. The only Person who didn't was Shin-Li. Behind him sat Clarisse and her friends from Cabin Five. She had apparently gotten over getting hosed down in toilet water because she was laughing and belching along with the rest of her friends. Xander sat of to one side, not talking to any of them. And again, Percy noticed, he was the only one who didn't have that mean, cruel look.

Finally Chiron pounded his hoof against the marble floor of the pavilion, and everyone fell silent. He raised a glass. "To the gods!"

Everyone else raised their glasses. "To the gods!" Then, Wood Nymphs came forward with platters of food. Grapes, apples, strawberries, cheese, fresh bread, and the part everyone was looking forward to the most, barbeque. The glasses remained empty however.

"Speak to it." Luke whispered to Percy. "Whatever you want, nonalcoholic of course."

Hesitantly Percy leaned in closer to his cup. "Cherry Coke." Instantly the cup was filled with the bubbling liquid. The a thought struck Percy. Leaning in to his cup again he whispered "Blue Cherry Coke." instantly the drink turned a brilliant cobalt. Percy took a sip. Perfect. He toasted his mother, because she wasn't gone. Not really. If the Underworld was real then someday…

"Here you go, Percy." Luke said cutting Percy out of his thoughts by handing him a platter of smoked brisket. Loading his plate, Percy was about to take a big bite when he noticed that everyone was getting up.

"Come on." Luke said nudging him. As they got closer Percy noticed that everyone was scrapping the best portion of their meal into the fire, the ripest strawberry, the juiciest piece of beef, the warmest, most buttery roll. "Burnt offerings to the gods." Luke explained. "They like the smell.

"You're kidding." Percy whispered, but the look Luke shot him told him not to take this lightly. All the same Percy didn't understand how immortal, all powerful beings would like the smell of burnt food.

Luke approached the fire, bowed his head and tossed in a cluster of red grapes "Hermes."

Percy ws next. Wishing he knew which gods name to say he stepped up to the fire. Finally he made a silent plea for his parent, whoever it was, to tell him. To send a sign, and he scrapped a big slice of brisket into the fire. But when he accidentally caught a whiff of the smoke, he didn't gag. It smelled nothing like burning food. It smelled like hot chocolate, fresh-baked brownies, hamburgers on the grill and a hundred other things that shouldn't have gone well together, but did. It was almost enough to make him believe the gods could live of that smoke.

After all the campers had finished with their sacrifices and eaten their meals, Chiron pounded his hoof on the floor for everyones attention once again. Apparently that was some kind of signal because Mr. D got up and started addressing everyone. "Yes, well I suppose I better say hello to all you brats. Well, hello. Our activities director, Chiron says that capture the flag is next friday. Cabin Five Currently holds the laurels. Canin Five cheered and began high-fiving Xander and patting him on the back. "Personally," Mr. D continued "I couldn't care less, but congratulations. Also, I should tell you that we have a new camper today. Peter Johnson."

Chiron murmured something.

"Er, Percy Jackson." Mr. D corrected. "That's right. Hurah. Now run along to your silly campfire."

Everybody cheered and headed down to the Amphitheater where the Apollo Cabin lead the sing-along." Percy no longer felt like everyone was staring at him. In fact this place, as strange as it was, was beginning to feel a lot like home to him. Later that evening, when the campfire had finally almost burned itself out, the conch horn sounded again and the campers filed back to their cabins. Percy hadn't realized just how tired he was until he collapsed on his borrowed sleeping bag. Percy's fingers curled around the Minotaur horn and thought about his mother. He fell asleep instantly, finally feeling like he was home. If only he knew how quickly things were going to change.


	3. We Capture a Flag

Percy managed to slip into a routine over the next couple of days, despite how strange all the activities were. Every morning he took ancient greek from Annabeth, which surprisingly wasn't any harder for him to read than english. By the third morning he could stumble through a few lines of Holmer without too bad of a headache.

The rest of the day he cycle through other activities trying to find something he was good at. Chiron had tried to teach him archery, but he ended up putting an arrow through the book Shin-Li was reading. Behind him. The nymphs left him in the dust when it came to foot racing as well. Percy actually found wrestling to be an interesting time of the day. Not because he was any good at it, but because he got to watch Xander and Shin-Li spar when he was done getting pummeled by Clarisse.

Finally he got the courage to ask Luke why he wasn't learning from one of them if they were the best. Luke just shook his head. "Trust me Percy, you don't want to go up against one of them unless you have a heavily armed team backing you up. At all if you can help it." he said as an afterthought.

"Why not? What makes them so special?" Percy asked.

"It's not my place to tell. I know more about Shin-Li than I do Xander anyway. But from what I can tell, they each went through something and the result is…well that ." But he refused to say anymore, instead telling Percy that if he wanted to know more he would have to ask one of them, and asking Xander anything could be dangerous. Looking at the snarl etched onto the bwhite haired boys face Percy found it easy to believe what Luke told him.

The only thing Percy excelled at was canoeing, and that wasn't exactly the skill people expected from the guy who'd beaten the Minotaur. He knew the senior campers were all watching him, trying to figure out who his parent was, but none of them were having much luck. He wasn't as strong as the Ares kids, or as good at archery as the Apollo kids. He didn't have the Hephaestus's kids skill with metalworking, or-gods forbid-Dionysus's way with the vine plants. Luke said he might be a child of Hermes, a kind of jack-of-all-trades master of none. But Percy suspected that he was just trying to make him feel better.

But despite all that Percy found himself liking camp. The training was hard, but good for a kid diagnosed with ADHD, and like Luke said, most people were nice, although Annabeth seemed to not like him very much. Shin-Li also always seemed depressed about something, even if it didn't show. And Percy also got the feeling that Xander wasn't very popular around camp. Even the Ares kids avoided him and they were the biggest, meanest kids in camp. But with the constant aura of rage hanging over him, even when he was relaxing, Percy could kind of understand why. He was scary. He also started to understand Luke's bitterness towards his dad. They were GODS! How hard could it be for them to take a few minutes out of their schedules to talk to there kids? Dionysus could make a coke can appear out of thin air? So why couldn't Percy's dad make a phone?

Three days after Percy got to camp, on Thursday afternoon, he had his first sword lesson. Cabin Eleven gathered in a big circular arena where Luke would be their instructor. They started with the basic stabbing and slashing, using straw dummies dressed in greek armor as their targets. Percy did fairly well for a beginner. He understood what he was supposed to do and he had fairly good reflexes. The only problem was that none of the swords felt right in his hands. They were either too long, too, heavy or too light. Luke tried to find one that fit but even he admitted that none of the practice blades were the right fit. Finally they split up into pairs with Luke announcing that he would pair with Percy since it was his first time.

"Good luck." A voice said from behind him. "Luke's the best swordsman in the last three hundred years." It was Xander. He was relaxing against a tree, wiping beads of sweat off his forehead with a small towel.

"Maybe he'll go easy on me." Percy said.

Xander quirked an eyebrow. "Not a chance." he said shaking his head. "Once you get to a certain level holding back stops being an option."

"Percy come on! We need to get started." Luke called. Xander watched with wry amusement as Luke showed Percy the techniques the hard way. "Keep your guard up Percy!" he would say only to whap him in the ribs with the flat of the blade. "Not that far up!" When it was finally time for a break Percy was so drenched in sweat Xander handed him two cups of water.

"You'd think he'd pair me up with someone closer to my level." Percy groused, draining one of the cups.

"He's actually doing you a favor." Xander told him, making Percy look at him like he was crazy. "Think about it." The red eyed teen said. "The best way to get stronger is to fight someone stronger than you."

Percy thought about that for a minute. "I guess you're right." he shrugged.

"Percy, we're starting again!" Luke called from the center of the arena.

"Crap! Hold on to this for me!" He said pushing his second cup into Xander's hands.

"I've got a better idea." Xander said before dumping the water over Percy's head. It felt incredible. Strength surged back into Percy's limbs, and the sword he was holding didn't feel so awkward anymore.

"Everyone circle up!" Luke called. "If Percy doesn't mind I'd like to give you a demo." Xander frowned. He could understand pushing someone but humiliating them in front of a crowd as large as the Hermes Cabin was going a little far. First impressions were important, and even if it was a demo, Luke now had everyone watching Percy's 'defeat'. The look on Percy's face said he was thinking much the same thing. It was one of the things Luke had done since he became head counselor for the Hermes Cabin that had always annoyed Xander. Everyone else was trying to suppress smiles. They had been where Percy was and couldn't wait to see if they did better than the new guy. Luke told them they'd be learning a disarming maneuver. How to twist an enemies blade with the flat of their own so they had no choice but to drop the weapon. "This is difficult."he stressed. "I've had it used against me. Most swordsmen have to work years to master it." He demonstrated the move in slow motion, so everyone could see exactly what they were supposed to be learning. "Now in real time." he said once Percy picked up his weapon. "We keep going until one of us pulls off the disarming technique. Ready, Percy?"

Percy nodded and Luke attacked. Xander wondered if he would have to reevaluate his opinion of Luke not holding back, but then he saw the telltale signs of frustration as Luke's eyes narrowed and he attacked with more force. Now it was Xander who couldn't suppress a smile. Percy's technique was unrefined and could obviously use work, but he managed to keep Luke at bay. But the blade wasn't right, even someone like Xander, who didn't use a sword could tell that. At best Percy could only hold out for a few more seconds. The he saw a familiar kind of recklessness in Percy's eyes. It happened in slow motion to Xander. Percy's blade hit the base of Luke's and he put his weight into a downward thrust. By the time it was over Luke's sword was on the ground and the tip of Percys was an inch from his chest.

"Um, sorry?" Percy said stepping back nervously.

Luke just stared at him in shock before a wide smile broke out on his scarred visage. "Sorry? By the gods Percy, why are you sorry? Show me that again!" But this time there was no contest. The second their blades met Percy's went clattering out of his hands.

"Beginners luck?" Shin-Li asked as he walked up behind Luke.

"Maybe." Luke said looking at Percy in a new light. "But I wonder what Percy could do with a balanced sword."

That Friday Percy sat with Grover at the edges of the lake, watching the naiads weave baskets underwater. Finally Percy got up the courage to ask how his talk with the pudgy all-powerful Camp Director had gone.

"F-fine." he said turning a sickly shade of yellow.

"So your career's still on track?" Percy asked.

"Chiron told you I want a searcher's license?" he asked as if he expected Percy to start making fun of him.

"Well…no." Percy said, having no idea what a searcher's license was. "He just said that you had big plans and needed credit for completing a Keepers assignment. So did you get it?"

Grover sighed. "Mr. D wanted to make it so I would only get credit if I went with you on a quest and we both came back alive, but Chiron convinced him that since it was just on the last leg of the quest that I messed up that if I did something to help the camp, something big, then I would get credit."

"That's not so bad then!" Percy said, trying to cheer up his friend.

"BLA-HA-HA!" Grover bleated dejectedly. "He might as well have sentenced me to stable-cleaning duty. The chances of you getting a quest are miniscule. And even if you did, quests are generally for half-bloods only."

"But what about doing something big for camp?" Percy asked.

"Big means something on the level of saving the camp!" Grover moaned. "And I have no idea how to do something like that! Besides, the camp doesn't even need saving."

"We'll figure something out G-man." Percy assured, clasping Grover's shoulder. Grover didn't look like he believed him but decided to let it go. "Tell me about the search." Percy said, surprising Grover. The young satyr looked at his friend, trying to tell if he was making fun of him or not. Finally he sighed. "The great god Pan, the lord of the wild places disappeared from the world over two thousand years ago. A sailor of the coast of Ephesos heard a voice cry out, 'Tell them the great god Pan has died.' When humans heard the news they believed it. They've been pillaging Pan's kingdom ever since. But for the satyrs, Pan was our lord and master. He protected us and the wild places of the earth. We refuse to believe that he died. In each generation the bravest satyrs pledge their lives to finding Pan. They search the earth, exploring all the wildest places, hoping to finally find where he is hidden and wake him from his sleep." as Grover spoke a warm breeze passed over them, carrying with it the scent of wild berries, rainwater and something else. Percy found himself nostalgic for something he's never known. "I'll be the first satyr to return alive." Grover said, snapping Percy out of his thoughts.

"Wait, the first?" Percy said, looking worried. "It's been two thousand years and no one's come back alive, let alone found him. You really believe you'll be the first?" Percy asked.

"I have to believe that Percy." Grover said. "We all do. It's the only thing keeping us from giving up entirely."

He looked so sad and forlorn that Percy changed the subject. They talked about canoeing and swordplay for a while, then the started discussing the pros and cons of the gods. Finally Percy asked him about four empty cabins.

"Number Eight belongs to Artemis." Grover told him. "She vowed to be a maiden forever so no kids. The cabin is honorary. If she didn't have one she'd be mad."

"Yeah, okay. What about the ones on the end though? Are those the Big Three?"

Grover tensed, obviously not comfortable with the situation. "No. One of them, Number Two, is Hera's, that's another honorary thing. She's the goddess of marriage, so of course she wouldn't go around having affairs with mortals. That's her husbands job. When we say the Big Three we mean the three powerful brothers, the sons of Kronos."

"Zeus, Poseidon and Hades." Percy nodded.

"Right." Grover said, getting into explanation mode. "After the battle with the Titans the gods drew lots to decide who would get what."

"Zeus got the sky," Percy remembered "Poseidon the sea, Hades the underworld."

"Uh-huh." Grover nodded.

"But Hades doesn't have a cabin here." Percy realized.

"No," Grover said. "He doesn't have a throne on Olympus either. If he did…let's just say it wouldn't be pleasant."

"But Zeus and Poseidon both had, like a bazillion kids in the myths. So why are their cabins empty?" he asked.

Grover sighed. "About sixty years ago, just after World War II, the Big Three agreed they wouldn't sire any more heroes. Their children were too powerful. They were affecting the course of human events too much, causing too much carnage. World War II was basically a fight between the children of Hades on one side and the children of Zeus and Poseidon on the other. The winning side, Zeus and Poseidon made Hades swear an oath with them. No more affairs with mortal women. They all swore it on the River Styx."

"That's the most serious oath you can make." Percy said, remembering that much from school." Grover nodded. "So the brothers kept their promise. No more kids right?"

Grovers face darkened. Seventeen years ago, Zeus fell off the wagon. There was this T.V. starlet with a big fluffy eighties hairdo-he just couldn't help himself. When their child was born, a little girl named Thalia…well the River Styx is serious about promises. Zeus got off easy because he's an immortal, but he brought a terrible fate down on his daughter."

"But that isn't fair! It wasn't the little girls fault!" Percy protested.

Grover just looked nervous. "Percy, children of the Big Three are stronger than other half-bloods. And the stronger the aura, well it's almost like a scent that attracts monsters. When Hades found out about the girl, he wasn't to happy about Zeus breaking his oath. He let the worst monsters out of Tartarus to torment Thalia. A satyr was assigned to be her keeper when she was twelve, but there was nothing he could do. He tried to escort her here with a small group of half-bloods she'd befriended. They almost made it. They got to the top of that hill." he stopped and pointed at the top of Half-Blood Hill, at the pine tree where Percy had fought the Minotaur. "All three Kindly Ones were after them, along with a horde of hellhounds. They were about to be overrun when Thalia told the satyr to take the other three half-bloods to safety while she held off the monsters. She was wounded and tired, and didn't want to live like a hunted animal. The satyr didn't want to leave her, but he couldn't change her mind, and he had to protect the others. Thalia made her last stand alone, at the top of that hill. As she died, Zeus took pity on her. He turned her into that pine tree. Her spirit still helps to protect the border. That's why the hill is called Half-Blood Hill.

Percy stared at the pine tree. The story of her sacrifice made him angry. How could the gods, any of them, punish a young girl for something her father did? But at the same time it made him feel guilty. A girl his age had given her life to defend her friends. Something like that made his victory over the Minotaur seem almost trivial. He had to wonder, if he had acted differently, could he have saved his mother? "Grover," he said catching his friends attention. "Have heroes really gone on quests to the Underworld?"

"Sometimes." Grover admitted, not liking where this conversation was going. "Orpheus, Hercules, Houdini."

"Have they ever returned anyone from the dead?" he asked, confirming Grover's fears.

"No. Never. Orpheus came close…Percy, you aren't actually thinking-"

"No." Percy lied, but Grover was able to read his emotions enough to tell that he wasn't telling the truth. "So, is a satyr always assigned to guard a demigod?" Percy asked, trying to divert Grovers attention.

Grover looked at him warily, but decided to let it drop for now. "Now always. We go undercover in a lot of schools, trying to sniff out half-bloods who have the makings of great heroes. If we find one with a very strong aura, like a child of the big three, we alert Chiron. He tries to keep an eye on them since they could become huge problems."

"And you found me. Chiron said you though I might be something special." Percy remembered from his talk with the centaur.

Grover looked around nervously, as if Percy had lead him into a trap. "I didn't…oh, listen, don't think like that. If you were-you know-you'd never ever be allowed to leave. You're probably just a child of Hermes, or maybe even one of the minor gods, like Nemesis, the god of revenge. Don't worry, okay?" But for some reason Percy thought he sounded more like he was trying to convince himself.

That night, after dinner, there was a lot more excitement than usual. It was time for capture the flag. When the plates were cleared away the conch horn sounded again and all the campers stood at their table. Campers cheered and yelled as Annabeth and Shin-Li came into the pavilion carrying a silk banner. It was about ten feet long, glistening gray with a painting of a barn owl above an olive branch. Clarisse and Xander came in carrying a banner of equal size, but bright red, with a boars head above two crossed spears.

"Those are the flags?" Percy asked Luke.

"Yeah." Luke nodded.

"Ares and Athena always lead the teams?"

"Not always." Luke told him. "But often."

"So what do you do when you capture the other teams flag? Repaint it?" Percy asked.

Luke grinned. "You'll see. But first we have to get one."

"Who's side are we on?" Percy asked.

Luke gave him a sly look, the shadows flickering over his face made him seem almost evil. "We've made a temporary alliance with Athena. Tonight, we get the flag from Ares. And you are going to help."

The teams were announced. Athena had made alliances with Apollo and Hermes, the two largest cabins. The usual bargaining tools had been used. Traded privileges, shower times, etc, all in order to win support. Personally Percy thought that it was a good set up. They had Luke, Shin-Li, and Annabeth. And while he hadn't seen her fight, he had a feeling that he didn't want to get on her bad side.

Ares on the other hand had made alliances with everybody else. Dionysus, Demeter, Aphrodite and Hephaestus. From what Percy had seen the Dionysus kids were good athletes, but there were only two of them. Demeter's kids had the edge when it came to nature and outdoor stuff, but they weren't very aggressive. The Aphrodite kids didn't worry Percy at all. The mostly sat out every activity, checked their reflections in the lake, did their hair and gossiped. Hephaestus's kids weren't pretty, and there were only four of them, but they were big and burly from working in the forges all day. They might be a problem. That of course left the Ares kids. A dozen of the biggest meanest kids on the planet. But for some reason it was the now barechested Xander that made him the most afraid. He radiated danger and anger. He'd been around the white haired boy before, but this would be the first time he would be fighting him.

Chiron banged a hoof against the marble floor, getting everyone's attention. "Heroes!" he announced. "You know the rules. The creek is the boundary line. The entire forest is fair game. All magic items are allowed. The banner must be prominently displayed and have no more than two guards."

"Which'll be more than enough is it's Xander again." Luke grumbled next to Percy.

"Prisoners may be disarmed but not bound or gagged. No killing or maiming is allowed. I will serve as referee and battlefield medic. Arm yourselves." And with a wave of his hands, the tables that had previously held platters of food were suddenly covered in tons of weapons and armor.

"Woah. We're supposed to use this stuff?" Percy gasped.

Luke looked at him as if he was crazy. "Unless you wanna get skewered by your friends in Cabin Five. Here-Chiron thought these would fit. You're on border patrol." he said handing Percy a shield the size of an NBA backboard with a caduceus in the middle. He also handed him a helmet, which, just like the helmets of everyone else on the Athena team had a blue horse hair plume. Ares and their allies had red plumes.

"Blue team, forward!" Annabeth yelled. They cheered and charged past the red team towards the southern half of the forest.

Percy managed to catch up with Annabeth, despite his million pound shield. "Hey." he said. She kept marching. "What's the plan?" he asked. "Got any magic items you can loan me?" Her hand drifted to her pocket like she was afraid he'd stolen something.

"Just watch for Clarisse's spear. You don't want that thing touching you. And if you run into Xander yell for backup." she said. Both Xander and Shin-Li had bright red and blue sashes on instead of the horsehair plume helmets. In fact, neither of them wore any armor at all. "Other than that, don't worry. We'll take the plan from Ares. Has Luke given you your job?" she asked.

"Border patrol. Whatever that means." Percy said.

"It's easy. Just stand by the creek and keep the reds away." she told him before jogging off.

"Great." Percy grumbled. "Glad you wanted me on your team."

It was a warm and sticky night. Fireflies buzzed around, giving the image of stars floating through the air. Shin-Li had positioned him near a small creek that gurgled over some rocks, then he and the rest of the team scattered through the trees. Standing there with his huge shield and horsehair helmet, Percy felt like an idiot. At the same time, it had been nearly half an hour and he hadn't seen a single person. Was he really going to make it through the entire war game without seeing any action? Then a snapping twig ruined Percy's night. Stepping out of the trees was the one person he would take Clarisse over.

But for some reason Xander seemed just as surprised to see Percy as he was to see Xander. "Seriously? One kid? What the hell was Shin-Li thinking?" he muttered to himself. Stealing himself Percy held up his shield and sword the way he'd been trained to. "Come on Perce. Put that down before I have to hurt you." Xander said.

"Sorry. I can't." Percy said, trying to sound braver than he actually felt.

Xander sighed. "Suit yourself." And just like that the calm expression melted off his face, replaced by a look of rage. The change was so seamless it left Percy momentarily stunned. The the fear sank in. For some reason, he wasn't looking at an angry barechested thirteen year old. By all counts, Percy should have the advantage. He was armored and armed while Xander had nothing. But he didn't. Somehow he knew. Xander was more dangerous than anything he's ever faced. And so it was that primal fear that triggered the tugging sensation in his gut as Xander approached. A wave roared down the creek, catching Xander of guard. The wall of water was so strong, it pushed the red eyed teen almost twenty feet down the river. Spluttering Xander gaped at Percy. "What the-" But he was cut off by the sight of Shin-Li racing in between them, Ares's red flag firmly in his hands.

As soon as he crossed the creek the flash shimmered and changed. Now instead of red with a boars head it was gray with an owl on one side, but black with a frowning theater mask on the other. Xander's eyes flickered between them, fury building in them. "Damn it!" he roared, glaring at Percy. Then for some reason, his gaze flicked up, to a point just above Percy's head. "Guys…" he said slowly. The cheering campers turned to see what he wanted when their eyes fell on the same thing Xander's had. Looking up Percy caught a glimpse of what had stunned even an enraged Xander. A spinning holographic image, made entirely of green light. A trident.

"Your father." Xander growled.

"My father?" Percy asked, not understanding.

"It is determined." Chiron said, shocking Percy. He hadn't even heard him arrive. "Poseidon. Earthshaker, Stormbringer, Father of Horses. Hail, Perseus Jackson. Son of the Sea God."

_  
OMAKE : The Last Capture The Flag

Chiron stood on the top of Half-Blood Hill, next to Thalia's tree when Mr. D appeared next to him, returning from his meeting at Olympus. "What's happened here?" the wine god asked, looking down at the forest where encampments had been erected.

"We've been playing capture the flag." Chiron said wearily.

"But it's monday." Mr. D said confused. Even if he didn't like his life here, he at least knew when the campers favorite game happened.

"I know." Chiron said. "It's been going on for three days!" he said turning to the camp director, revealing sleepless, bloodshot eyes.

"What! What happened?" Mr. D asked, now feeling slightly interested.

"Xander and Shin-Li are guarding the flags." Chiron groaned.

Down in the forest even Xander and Shin-Li were reaching their limits. Neither team had any active players left, but were determined not to lose the game.

"Hey! Shin-Li!" Xander shouted from his place in front of the red flag.

"Yeah?" Shin-Li shouted back.

"I'm bored. I'm gonna nuke it." Xander shouted, confusing everyone.

"What! No! Xander you can't actually be thinking of-" but an earth shattering 'boom' echoed around the forest as the ground itself shook. Xander had punched the ground. Later, Chiron and Mr. D found everyone unconscious or asleep. Most of them had been knocked out by their encampments collapsing on them when Xander had punched the ground. Shin-Li was passed out where he had been guarding the blue flag, but the flag was missing. Xander was later found unconscious, just barely having crossed the stream with the now red and gold flag. It was agreed by everyone that that was the hardest game of capture the flag they'd ever played.

* * *

_Hey everyone. this is Truly Human. This is the third chapter and I want to make sure everyone is getting the full impact of this story. To make sure you do, be sure to read _**Demigod Tales: Another Side, Another Story**_ by my friend Matthias the Wanderer!_


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